Cleveland, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – The Cleveland Browns are America’s Team in 2019.
The magazine covers, GQ profiles, photoshoots have been plentiful in recent weeks.
They’ll play in front of a national television audience no less than four times under the primetime lights.
Elite superstars on both sides of the ball have the Browns poised to do what so few Browns teams that have come before them in the last two decades have failed to do – win. And win a lot.
In modern NFL team building there are multiple components required to contend, many of which the Browns had been devoid of for decades, but not anymore.
Franchise quarterback: Baker Mayfield, check. He was the 30th starter since 1999 and after setting the NFL rookie record with 27 touchdown passes in just 13 starts, he could find himself in the league MVP conversation in his sophomore season.
Prolific receiver: Odell Beckham Jr., check. It’s a wonder general manager John Dorsey isn’t in jail for committing highway robbery of the Giants in March. Dorsey stole Pro Bowl defensive end Olivier Vernon from them too.
Elite pass rusher: Myles Garrett, check. Thanks, Sashi. There we said it.
Explosive runner that can take it the distance: Nick Chubb, check. How’s a franchise-record 92-yard TD for ya? He had a 63 yarder as a rookie too.
Pro Bowl cornerback: Denzel Ward, check. The No. 4 pick in the 2018 Draft earned a trip to Orlando as a rookie and he’s got more of those coming if he stays healthy.
Stellar safety: Damarious Randall, check. Dorsey traded DeShone Kizer to the Packers for this guy. We’re still laughing.
The Browns began their rise from the depths of football hell last season, which included ending a 19-game winless streak, an 18-game AFC North winless streak, a 37-game Sunday winless streak a 25-game road losing streak and they managed to avoid losing 10 or more games in a single season for what felt like the millionth time since 1999.
But to complete the resurrection of the franchise there are a few items they still need to check off in this year, and so we present our bucket list for the 2019 season.
Win in Week 1. Sounds simple enough but since returning to the NFL in 1999, they’ve started 0-1 18 times. Last year they tied the Steelers despite forcing 6 turnovers. Their only 1-0 start came in 2004, 20-3 over the Baltimore Ravens. It’s time to end the ‘death, taxes and the Browns start 0-1’ streak. The last Browns head coach to win his debut – Bud Carson in a 51-0 thumping of the Steelers in 1989. 12 interim and full-time head coaches later, Freddie Kitchens hopes to end that streak. The only thing to remember the Titans for is the first victory of many this fall.
Beat the Steelers. For the love of everything holy, beat the Steelers. The Browns came close last year with the Week 1 tie but for 20 years they have been their pinata – Pittsburgh is a ghastly 34-6-1 since 1999 and they are long overdue for some payback.
Finish above .500 again in the AFC North. Last season the Browns managed to go 3-2-1 within the North, which was a massive step forward, but in order to take the quantum leap everyone expects this year, they can't afford a step back and a .500 or less finish within their own division just won’t cut it if the Browns hope to play in January.
Win four straight. The losing streaks are now legendary, and historic. Now it’s time to string some wins together. They’ve managed to win 3 in a row 6 times since 1999 and the longest win streak in the expansion era is 4, and that came at the end of a miserable 5-11 campaign in 2009. Is it too much to ask to at least match that this year? The schedule is tough early, but opportunity knocks for a strong December finish.
Baker starts all 16 games. Tim Couch is the only quarterback to have started all 16 regular season games, which came in 2002 – the only year they’ve made the playoffs since returning – in a season. But as fate would have it a Week 16 injury forced Kelly Holcomb to start the playoff loss at Pittsburgh and thus began the non-stop spinning of the QB carousel for the next 15 years. Mayfield needs to be on the field every week.
Win the North. The Browns haven’t won a divisional title since 1989. That’s 30 years and a different division ago. Need we say more?
Make the playoffs. If the North isn’t in the cards just yet, a Wild Card will do. It’s only been 16 years – the longest active streak in the NFL – since the Browns played a 17th game.
Win a playoff game. Their last playoff victory came in on New Year’s Day, 1995, 20-13 over New England at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Getting there would be great, advancing would be frosting on the cake.
Welcome back to relevancy Browns fans. Your team is no longer a bye week, doormat or punchline on late night TV.
Enjoy the ride.
